‘It came to sink-or-swim time...

“In practice, not really,” he says. “With a hard Brexit it will be more difficult and more expensive to get materials in, but Britain is not going to stop trading. And particularly for the business we’re in, I don’t think people’s personal preferences will change overnight. I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t continue to trade in Britain. If we were dealing with a USA- exit, we’d find it more troubling.

“Having said that, sterling is already down 10-15pc, and we’re losing because of that, so it makes sense for us to diversify and open up more markets elsewhere in Europe.”

Further south in the Garden County, the Kerry Foods meat-processing plant in Shillelagh is one of the biggest employers in the region, and its Brexit strategy is prescribed by the parent Kerry Group.

“We’re well experienced in planning for various scenarios and streamlining activities, and we have a strong Brexit mitigation plan in place,” says director of corporate affairs Frank Hayes. “We continually review efficiencies in order to operate successfully. Exploring adjacent markets and new opportunities, and driving innovation are part of our day-to- day activities. These things are not driven by Brexit alone.

“We’re constantly looking at changing trends. Consumers are looking for more convenience, different taste profiles, less sugar, lower salt, different portions, food to go... And then you have different demographics to cater for, Millenials, Gen Z, and an ageing population, all looking for different things.”

With 24,000 employees globally, markets in 140 countries and revenues of more than €6bn, the Kerry Group is an agri-food giant.

At the other end of the scale, small businesses in Wicklow have the support of their Local Enterprise Office (LEO) to help them deal with the possible implications of Brexit.

“We are getting feedback that business owners in Wicklow are concerned, particularly about currency fluctuations and the economic impact of Brexit in Britain having a knock- on effect here,” says Sheelagh Daly, Head of Enterprise, Wicklow LEO.

“We encourage every business to complete the Brexit Scorecard developed by Enterprise Ireland and available online. This helps you think about the possible implications of Brexit on your company.

“At the very least it’s a self-assessment of where you’re at as a company. By doing this, you might think, ‘Actually, I am a bit exposed,’ or ‘I don’t know the answer to this – I’d better find out,’ in which case we can help. None of us knows how Brexit will play out, but we urge business owners to take a cautious approach.”

Two sectors for which